All about Accessories Accessories are all the extra things that go with your clothes such as bags hats and jewelry They can liven up an outfit and show off your own style It’s fun and creative to make your own and it saves money Do It Yourself DIY Making your own accessories means you can have funky stuff whenever you want It’s far cheaper than buying them new and it’s simple and fun to do You could even end up with a career as a jeweler or fashion designer For the projects in this book you’ll need basic sewing needles pins buttons thread and scissors which you may have at home For jewelry making you need cord beads metal findings such as necklace clasps and jewelry pliers which you can get at craft and bead shops Any small fine-tipped pliers from home would work too Get the Gear 4 Safety Remember to keep strings cords and sharp things like pins needles and scissors away from small children
Tip If you have a sewing machine and know how it works you can use it for some of the projects in this book Use It Again Crafting is green too because old things can be repaired or recycled rather than thrown into a landfill You can make some accessories out of old clothes or junk or mend and rework old things so that you can use them again In the Box Keep all your creative stuff together in a craft box You can buy one or make your own with a shoebox 5
Perfect Pendant A simple pendant is one of the easiest and quickest accessories you can make String it together put it on and away you go This is also a great way to reuse broken pieces of jewelry String your bead or other item onto the middle of the cord Tie a double knot to hold it in place l About 3 feet 1 m of cotton jewelry cord l Bead shell or whatever you are using for the pendant l Necklace clasp see box on page 7 l Scissors Get the Gear Hold the cord around your neck to decide how long to make it Cut to the right length leaving about 4 in 10 cm extra on each end Tip Always make sure your beads have holes big enough for your cord to go through 6
Tie the two ends of cord tightly to the two parts of the clasp using double knots Trim off any extra cord Necklace Clasps There are various types of necklace clasps 1 ring and hook 2 ring and bar or a toggle 3 spring ring You can attach them all by tying them on Tip Go beachcombing A pebble or shell with a hole in it will make a great pendant 1 2 3
